The Balance of Faith
by Son of Soul Reaver
Summary: Sequel to Spike Trek. Faith finds herself 300 years in the future. Facing a Starfleet Security Officer, she tries to explain how she ended up here.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is the sequel to Spike Trek. I originally said the sequel would be called "Gotta Have Faith", however I realized that for the sake of continuity, I needed to tell this story first. It is a crossover with Legacy of Kain, but the first chapter and parts of subsequent chapters will take place in the Star Trek universe. For context, the first third of this chapter is the same as the end of Spike Trek, so spoilers (duh). If you haven't read Spike Trek, I recommend doing so before continuing with this story. Enjoy.

* * *

"So this Amy chick used some mystical crystal to capture your power," Spike asked Willow. The two were walking in the twilight, enjoying the gardens at Starfleet headquarters. The two had spent their brief time on Earth as _guests_ the facility. Spike couldn't blame them. Humanity hadn't dealt with witches or vampires in centuries, and even then, they weren't great at handling the things that went bump in the night.

Willow nodded up at him. She looked beautiful, her hair having grown down to her shoulders since that time in London. She was wearing a floor length, forest green gown, not unlike the one Amy had worn while masquerading as her. This one had full sleeves and didn't poof out nearly as much.

"She spent a lot of time just gathering energy," she said, "That's how she was able to create that huge space station all at once."

Spike's brow furrowed, "How did she know what to do? I mean, I can barely make heads or tales of this crazy future. How did Amy do it?"

"Janeway," Willow answered simply.

When Spike looked at her, she shook her head slightly, almost as if trying to clear her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said, "I'm still getting used to not being all ghosty."

Spike chuckled, "I know how that feels."

Willow smiled up at him for a minute, then continued, "There was a Starfleet admiral named Janeway who was visiting the crystal caves in California. That's where Amy was gathering energy. When she read Janeway's mind and saw some of the secrets there, she hunted the admiral down. That's where she got the information about Annika Hanson and the Borg. All I could was watch."

"How long were you like that?" he asked, "Could you even tell?"

"Sort of," she answered, "It was creepy, Spike. Being all ghosty and immortal, I'd lose so much time. I'd stop paying attention for what felt like a few minutes, then I'd come back only to find that decades had passed." She looked up to him with tears in her eyes. "Spike, I don't even know what happened to Buffy and Xander and Giles and," she paused, gasping, "Oh my Goddess, Kennedy! Spike, I don't know what happened to Kennedy!"

Spike put his arms around Willow as she began to cry. He had an inkling of what she was going through, but her situation was so much worse. Spike had, more or less, been given a choice. Plus he'd been given a chance to say his goodbyes. Willow, on the other hand, had been ripped away from her life and the ones she loved.

Trying to change the subject, Spike pulled her away from himself and asked, "How is your magic. You haven't told me much since you woke up from getting hit by that energy."

Through the tears, she smiled, "It isn't nearly as bad as I feared. I think my own experience and familiarity of my own magick helped a lot. I'm not uber powerful super witch anymore, but I'm not geeky, no magic Willow either. I'm about where I was when the First attacked Sunnydale."

Spike's eyes widened, "You weren't exactly timid then, Love. You were a force to be reckoned with. You were the reason for the all the potentials got juiced up. I'm not much into the hocus pocus, but I think that sort of thing takes some serious chops."

Willow nodded, "It does. I am a serious chop having Willow. But my chops aren't quite as serious as before."

"Is there any way to get that power back?" Spike asked.

Willow shrugged, "Time, mostly. Being on Earth helps. I wont be as powerful as I was for a long time. Maybe never. That's not such a bad thing. Willow with too much power tends to be dark and veiny Willow."

"SPIKE!" a voice called from across the gardens. They both looked toward the sound and saw a figure with a cane moving in their direction. The figure moved slowly, despite obviously being clearly in a hurry. Soon, Spike could make out Captain Benjamin. Impatient, Spike began walking toward the limping figure, and Willow followed.

Once face to face with the young man, he could see the look of elation on his face.

"Spike," he said, "They've given me a ship."

Spike help out a hand, "Congratulations, Captain."

Benjamin shook his hand firmly, clearly still giddy with the news. "I wanted to ask you something," he said, "And keep in mind that this is strictly a request, but I'd like you to join my crew."

Spikes eyebrows shot up. He looked to Willow who seemed equally confused. He looked back to the young captain, who seemed expectant.

"I don't know," Spike said, "What would I do?"

"Spike," Benjamin said, smiling slightly, "You're the most competent fighter I have ever met. Not to mention you read people better than any empath I have ever met. I'm sure I can find a place for you."

"Not without Willow," Spike said, "I'm not leaving her in the hands of the Future Initiative."

Before he could answer, a sudden flash caught everyone's attention. The very air seemed to crackle several more times. A point of light started about seven feet off the ground, then dragged a tear in reality down to the ground. The glowing, crooked line sat, hovering in open space briefly, before it opened upon a landscape of barren desolation.

Suddenly, a figure stepped through the opening and, just as quickly as it had opened, the portal closed. The figure was not tall or imposing. She was maybe five and a half feet tall, but he held herself with the bearing of someone who knew how to kill.

"Oh my God," she said, "Spike, am I glad to see you."

"Faith?" Willow asked.

Faith's eyebrows shot up, "Willow? I thought you were dead."

"Wait," Benjamin said, "Who are you?"

Spike shook his head, smiling, "It's a long story, Mate. Faith, how did you get here?"

Faith shrugged, "It's a long story."

Spike looked over the woman who had just appeared before him in a pillar of light. She was petite, but well muscled. She had what looked to be a fresh scar that ran from her hairline, splitting her left eyebrow, then moving past her eye, jutting sharply to the left and continuing past her cheek, stopping just short of her ear. She wore what looked like a red tabard cinched at the waist with a leather belt. The black symbol on it was one that Spike did not recognize. It seemed to be some kind of horned creature with wings represented in the crudest possible manner.

The more disconcerting thing was that under the tabard, she seemed to be wearing armor made of some kind of metal. The black material cover her shins, wrists, shoulders, and seemed to wrap around her torso under the red cloth. What looked like dyed red leather covered all of the other parts of her body. And at her waist, Spike could see a pair of battle axes, one hanging by a strap from each hip.

Captain Benjamin, leaning heavily on his cane, looked to Spike, "Seriously Spike, who is she? I'm sure security is on their way here right know, and they'll have more than a few uncomfortable questions."

Willow, who had seemed to be shocked to speechlessness since Faith's appearance, finally spoke. "Wait," she said, " _You_ thought _I_ was dead? Giles and I searched for a way to get you out of that Hell Dimension for months. All the texts told us time moved faster there. By the time we figured out where you even were, we thought you'd have been dead of old age."

Faith shrugged beneath her armor, "What can I say, Will? I'm hard to kill."

"Excuse me," Benjamin said, holding up a hand, "I don't want to be rude, but security will be here in under thirty seconds, and they're going to be asking the same questions I'm asking, but a lot less nicely."

"You're right," Spike said, "Faith, when these guys get here, don't fight. Keep your hands at your sides-"

He was cut off as the now familiar hum of a transporter beam materialized six figures in a circle around the small group. They all held phasers, but one also held a tricorder. He raised it toward Faith, scanning for a few seconds. Spike could see the woman visibly stiffen, seeming to suppress her instinct to draw the axes.

Spike took the opportunity to assess the security team. Two of them were Human, one was Vulcan, and one was a member of the same species as Meps, the pretty redhead from the Enterprise, as evidenced by the spots running down either side of his face and into his collar. The last two, Spike didn't know. One was short, bald, with comically oversized ears. He held the tricorder. The other was blue, with white hair and what looked like two antenna on her forehead.

"She's not the source of it," the one with the tricorder said, "but she is saturated with it."

"Is it dangerous?" The one with the spots asked. He seemed to be the one in charge.

"Unknown," the other asked, "I've never seen anything like this."

"If I may," Benjamin said, turning slightly. The motion was awkward, forcing him to reposition his cane, "I'm Captain Benjamin."

The one in charge turned toward him, lowering his weapon. "Lieutenant Commander Tien Cal," He said by way of introduction. Spike wondered if he was about to pull rank, but then Benjamin nodded almost deferentially.

"I don't know if you are familiar with our two guests," he said, motioning to Willow and Spike, "But this woman is a friend of theirs. We haven't yet learned how she came to be here, but I'm sure she'd be happy to tell us anything we need to know."

Faith shifted her weight from one leg to the other, folding her arms across her chest. The motion caused her armor to creak, drawing everyone's attention. "Yeah," she said, and Spiked realized the move was calculated on Faith's part, "If you want, we'll have a big ol' love in where we share our feelings. No talking sticks, though. Friend of mine had a bad experience with one, once."

Cal turned back Benjamin, quirking an eyebrow. Benjamin shrugged his right shoulder, the side not holding the cane. Cal touched the comm badge on his chest, "Lieutenant Cal to Captain Morales."

"Report," came a voice, who Spike assumed was Morales, from vaguely in Cal's direction.

"We didn't find the source of the energy, exactly," he said, "We did find a woman who is saturated in it. She also happens to be in the company of a Captain and two H.Q. guests."

"Very well," said Morales, "I'm having everyone transported to the Detention Buidling's Common Area. Stand by for transport."

"Aye, Aye." Cal said, then closed the channel by touching his badge again.

"Hang on, Faith," Spike said, "The next part is a little weird."

The hum of the transporter sounded again, and Spike's vision flooded with light.

* * *

Benjamin sat watching Spike, Willow, and this new woman, Faith in the Common Room. He sat at one of the tables against the wall, his left leg straightened out on the bench, idly twirling his cane on the floor with his right hand. He had been watching the other three, who sat talking at another table, for almost fifteen minutes. They seemed to be all smiles. Faith even laughed out loud a few times. His curiosity was driving him crazy, but these three had clearly known each other for a very long time, and they also very clearly had some catching up to do.

Still, Benjamin was familiar enough with Earth's history to know that Faith's attire was considered ancient, even in the twenty-first century. But, until just over a six weeks ago, he didn't even know that vampires or witches were anything other than myth.

The doors opened and a tall man with tan skin and salt and pepper gray hair walked in. Despite his Captain's insignia, he wore a gold collar, denoting him as a member of Sartfleet Security. This must be Captain Morales. Benjamin turned in his seat, using his left hand to support his injured leg. Once both feet were firmly planted on the ground, he shifted his cane to his left hand and stood.

On his feet, he turned, somewhat awkwardly, to face the captain. He realized that Morales had been staring at him as he had gotten to his feet. Feeling a flash of irritation, he pushed it down.

"Hello, Captain Benjamin," He said, "I am Captain Carlos Morales of Starfleet Headquarters Security."

Benjamin nodded, trying to ignore the shooting pain in his leg, and shook the man's hand.

Morales nodded to the trio, who had not stood, and asked quietly, "What can you tell me about that surge of energy we detected on H.Q. grounds, and how it relates to these three."

"Not much," Benjamin answered, "That woman, the one in the armor, I think her name is Faith, appeared in a flash of light. That might be the energy that you detected. Spike and Willow, the two sitting with her, seem to know her. Spike helped us on a mission almost a month ago, and Willow was rescued on that mission. A lot of the details are classified, but suffice it to say, I trust Spike with my life, and if that woman is a friend of his, I don't believe she poses a threat."

Captain Morales nodded. He considered for a moment before stepping aside and motioning toward the door. "If you will excuse us, Captain. I need to interview these people, and I'm sure you have more important business elsewhere."

"Of course, Captain," Benjamin said, "Give me just a sec." At Morales' nod, Benjamin hobbled over to the table that the others sat at. They looked up expectantly.

"I have some work to do," he said to the group, then he focused on Spike, "I'm serious about my offer. I really want you on my crew."

Spike shrugged, "I still won't leave Willow."

Benjamin turned to Willow. The red head was wearing a green dress that flattered her figure and brought out the brightness of her eyes. "Is that something you'd want?" he asked her.

Willow smiled, "I'm honestly not sure. I'm still getting used to the idea that I'm almost three hundred years removed from anything even remotely familiar."

"Think about it," Benjamin said, then turned and limped out of the room. As the door closed behind him, he desperately hoped he was right about there new guest.


	2. Chapter 2

Faith watched as the older, Hispanic man sat down at the table with them. His clothes were the same as every person she had seen so far, a black jumpsuit with gray shoulders and a colored collar. In his case, it was orange. The look in his eye betrayed suspicion. He seemed to be gauging her as a threat, a look that Faith was quite familiar with.

His gaze swept over Spike and Willow briefly, but then he returned those hard eyes to her. "I am Captain Carlos Morales of Starfleet Headquarters Security." He waved at another man, dressed in an identical uniform, who stepped forward and handed him what looked like a tablet. He looked at it and read off information from it, "At twenty-two hundred hours and twenty-eight minutes, a surge of unknown energy was detected on the grounds of Starfleet headquarters. When my security team arrived, they found you, saturated in that energy. Continuous scans have seen that energy fade to the point that you now show almost no sign of it. Can you explain this?"

Faith shrugged, but she realized the expression was almost lost in the heavy armor. She sat back and marveled again at how comfortable the outfit was. Apparently, the magic that allowed it to fit perfectly to her frame still worked when back on earth. Or maybe, as the last person to wear it, it would now only fit her.

"Look," she said, leaning forward, "I don't know a whole lot about the magick stuff. That's more Red's playground. I just hit things and sometimes stab them with stakes." She saw his eyebrows raise, but went on before he could interrupt her, "But if you got some time, I can tell you what happened."

The man opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed to think better of it. He closed his mouth and spread his hands, inviting Faith to go on. Faith leaned back in her chair, rubbing her hands on her face. The smell of the worn leather relaxed her as she tried to figure out where to begin.

Finally, she leaned forward, letting go of a breath through pursed lips. She pulled off her gloves, loosening her bracers to pull the thick leather out from beneath them. Idly, she brushed the scar on her left cheek. That seemed the best place to start. _No,_ she thought, _that's too early._ But another starting place jumped out at her almost immediately.

"Alright," she said, "I'd just made my way to Vegas. This guy drove me from Cleveland. He was a total dork, but he could fight. He was a good guy. Anyway, he dropped me off in this total ritzy part of town called Summerlin, and a couple of old friends were there to meet me…"

* * *

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Dan said. I sighed, I couldn't help it. He was a dork, but he had proved he was capable of making really tough decisions when the chips were down. Maybe that came from being raised in Vegas. I'd watched him stake a vampire that used to be his girlfriend. Or whatever she was. This kid was obviously a survivor. I hated to admit it, but I was going to miss him.

"Hey," he said suddenly. He'd written something on a small not pad, tearing off the paper and passing it to me. I took it, wondering if it was his phone number. It wasn't. It was an address.

"So you can write me and let me know how you're doing, or maybe if you need a place to crash for a night," he said, "That's my folks' place. I'll be there for a bit until I get a place of my own down here."

I almost laughed. We'd been together for almost a week, and we'd fought a couple of times and I'd almost killed him once. But I didn't laugh. He had to face a very hard reality in that time. It was the same reality I dealt with at sixteen. I didn't want him to go down the dark path I had. I tucked the note in my pocket.

"I'm not much of a writing type," I said, "Maybe I can give you a number and you can call me."

Dan shrugged, "Whatever's good for you. I just don't want you to think that you're alone. I'm here if you need me."

This time I did laugh, "I've been on my own for a long time. But if you do want to help, call this number," I grabbed his pen and wrote Xander's number on it, "Tell the guy who answers that Faith says you should be a Watcher. He'll know what that means."

Leaning across the seat as I was, my face close to his, I wondered if he was going to try to kiss me. I had been waiting for him to make a move ever since he picked me up in Cleveland. Instead, he smiled and said, "Thanks. I'll call in the next few days. I'd give you a hug, but if there's one thing I learned about you, it's that you're not the touchy feely type."

I still don't know what made me do it, but right then, it seemed like exactly the right thing to do. I threw my arms around him and squeezed tight. He only hesitated a moment before he put his own arms around me. His grip was firm, almost loving, but not in a creepy way. I imagine that if I had a brother, that's what hugging him would have felt like. I winced slightly as my bandaged cheek touched his shoulder. I heal fast, but it was a really deep cut.

After a moment, I broke the hug and pulled back. He smiled knowingly, put his hand on my shoulder, and said, "Thank you, Faith."

"Thank you, Dan," I answered, then got out of the car. The first thing I noticed was the cold. Maybe it was being in the superheated car for the last week, or maybe it was the fact that I didn't expect Vegas to be cold, but dammit, I was freezing. I looked around the parking lot of the strip mall that Dan had dropped me off in. I spotted Giles in an instant. He was standing next to a muscle car of all things. It was black and sleek, almost like that one that Super Spy was driving back in Florida. And standing next to him was Robin.

Robin and I sort of had a thing in Sunnydale during the fight with the First. He was so hot, and the sex was great. But it wasn't supposed to be anything long-term. I don't do long-term. I've always been strictly get some then get gone. Thing was, I couldn't just get gone from Robin. He was part of the team, and so I had to see him.

* * *

The man sitting across from Faith held up his hand, making her pause. "Faith, is it?" he asked. She nodded so he went on, "Perhaps we should stick to events pertaining to my question."

Faith shrugged, "Do you want to hear this story or not? I don't really care either way."

Morales sighed and waved his hand, inviting her to go on.

* * *

Anyway, Robin walked up to me, a big grin on his face. He was tall, so I had to look up to see it. I was afraid he was going to try to hug me, but his hands stayed at his sides.

"Faith," he said, "It's good to see you."

"Indeed," Giles said, stepping forward, "Not to be rude, but what happened to your face?"

I reached up and touched the bandage over my left cheek. There was another one above my eye.

"Don't worry about it," I said, "I heal quick."

I turned back to see Dan still sitting in his idling car, watching me with Robin and Giles. I smiled, thinking about his protective nature. I waved at him, and he nodded back. He put his car in gear and began to pull away.

I turned back to the two men. "So," I asked, "What's up?"

Giles nodded and gestured toward his monster of a car. I walked up to it as the locks clicked, responding to a press of a button on the little black remote in Giles' hand. The car only had two doors, and Robin tried to climb in the back. I knew better. With his height, he would need the front. I'm not very tall, and Robin has almost a foot on me.

"Nice try, Big Guy," I said as I pushed him out of the way, "But that chivalry crap isn't gonna fly today. I just spent a week with a guy who did everything short of calling me 'M'lady' so I ain't got the patience right now."

Once in the back seat, I belted myself in. Robin got into the front seat and Giles got behind the wheel. He started the engine and it roared to life. The whole car shook with power and the vibrations shot through me. I let go of a satisfied purr. As he put the car in gear, I looked at the old Englishman in the rear view mirror.

I said, "I gotta say, G Man, I didn't figure you for the muscle car type."

"Yes, well," he said, glancing briefly at me through the mirror, "This was all they had."

"Don't be coy, Rupert" Robin said, "You fell in love the instant you saw this Black Beauty."

"Kind of like I fell for your 'Black Beauty'," I said.

"I beg of you to stop this line of conversation," Giles said as he pulled into traffic.

Robin laughed and I shrugged, but felt a little twinge of satisfaction at messing with the old man. I had known Giles for almost ten years, and making him blush never got old. The engine purred again and I leaned my head back against the seat, trying to absorb the vibrations.

"We're not sure exactly what we're dealing with," Giles said, bringing me back to the present, "It shares a few characteristics with some demons, but I can't find anything that matches it's specific description. It's very strong, even by demon standards. It also hasn't been acting with any specific agenda I can discern."

"Its mostly been causing chaos and destruction," Robin added, "Even other demons in the area have been avoiding it. None of our sources in the area have any idea what it is."

"What does it look like," I asked. I didn't really think I was going to know something that these two didn't, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

"Very big. Maybe ten or eleven feet tall," Robin answered, "All muscle. Like 1970s, Mr. Universe Arnold Schwarzenegger. Giant maw with huge teeth. Black spikes coming out of it's back. Red skin, goat like legs, and big horns that curve down in front of it's face."

I nodded, but the engine revved again as Giles got onto the freeway, and I tried to sink further into the leather of the seat. Another thought occurred to me as I leaned my head back against the surprisingly comfortable seat.

"Do we have any backup?" I asked.

"Not yet," Giles said, "Susan, Margaret, and Bridget will be here tonight. Oh, and Satsu will also be coming."

I knew those first three. They were with me in Florida when I recruited a new slayer and an ex-spy and his friends got caught up in the mix. That last name sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. I thought for a moment, then it came to me and I sat forward in my seat.

"Isn't Satsu the one that half the slayers saw in bed with Buffy?" I asked.

Robin laughed and Giles gave me a hard look in the rear view mirror. "Perhaps we should just stick to the matter at hand," he said.

I sat back in my seat, surprised at Giles' reaction and feeling like a scolded child. We sat in relative silence until a phone rang. Robin twisted in his seat and pulled a small flip phone out of his jeans pocket. He opened it and put it to his ear.

"Go ahead," he said. A muffled voice came from the other end. Slayer package doesn't include super hearing, so I couldn't make it out.

"Got it," Robin said, "We've got Faith with us. We'll see what we can do." He closed his phone with a snap. I leaned forward and asked, "What is it?"

Robin looked to Giles, "It's attacking Fremont Street. If it gets to the light show area, we're going to have a serious problem."

In response, Giles stepped harder on the gas, forcing me back in my seat. Giles looked at me through the rear view mirror.

"Faith, do you think you're ready for this?" he asked.

I shrugged. The way he was talking had me a little worried, but I'd faced apocalyptic odds before and come out on top. Hell, most all of us could say that. With Giles and Robin helping me, I didn't see how things could go wrong.

"Take me to this thing," I said, "I'll make it cry like a bitch!"

* * *

Less than ten minutes later, Giles had found a spot near a bar called "Backstop Billiards" and Robin was on the phone.

"We're on the corner of 6th and Fremont," he said, "Where is this thing?" There was a short pause, then, "What do mean, 'Right there'?"

As if in answer, the earth shook with the sound of an unearthly roar. It was so loud, I had to cover my ears. Recovering quickly, I ran toward the source of the sound. I rounded the corner of the building into a small parking lot to see a familiar figure facing off against a nightmare. The creature was as Robin had described it: At least 10 feet tall; red skin; huge horns and spikes, and a mouth big enough to bite me in half.

The person fighting the thing was fast, and I could have sworn that a couple of times, he flew above the ground. After one furious punch to the middle of the thing's face, it took a knee. The person in a long black cloak turned to look at me.

"Oh, hey Faith. Good to see ya," It was Angel, in all his do gooder, boyscout glory.

* * *

Morales held up a hand to halt Faith's narration. "Who is Angel," he asked.

Faith raised her eyebrows. She realized that this man would have no way of knowing about the 'Vampire with a Soul' that she had known in a previous life.

"He was a hero," Spike said, "If a bit of a pansy."

He and Willow were now sitting on either side of Faith at the table. Willow said "He was a vampire who was cursed with a soul. At the time that Faith is describing, he was human, but he had somehow developed super powers."

" _Cursed_ with a soul?" Morales asked, "Super powers?"

Faith was about to explain, but Spike held up a hand, "Trust me, Mate. It's a long story."

Morales nodded, seeming to accept the explanation. "Very well. Faith, please continued," he implored.

* * *

"Hey Angel," I said, "What're you doing here?"

"Your job," he said, smirking, "A little help?"

The demon was back on it's feet. I figured there'd be time to reminisce later. I ran right for the thing. It opened it's huge jaws. I was expecting this, so I ducked as flames spewed from its mouth. Things like this always breath fire. I slid beneath its legs and came up behind it. Angel, taking my cue, distracted it while I climbed up the spikes on its back. The skin on the neck was thick, but I was able to get my dagger through. Blood sprayed from the wound, splashing my face and neck.

The beast roared, but a weird feeling overcame me. Like a tug on a string tied to my guts. I looked behind me to see a swirling vortex of color. I jumped from the creature, but I could feel the vortex behind me pulling me toward it.

I felt a firm grip on my wrist. That grip was my only connection to reality. I looked behind me again, and I couldn't tell if the portal had expanded or I had fallen too far into it. There was no sign of the creature, so I figured it had to have fallen in. Looking up, I could see Angel holding on to me. I could also see his feet sliding on the blacktop, trying to keep me from the portal's undeniable grasp.

"Angel," I said, "Let me go."

"I can pull you out, Faith," he insisted.

Seeing his feet slide on the ground, I knew it was a lie. He couldn't pull me out. I was lost. Maybe, if a couple of slayers had been there, he'd have been able to get me out. But, by himself, he was no match for the mystical energies pulling on me.

"Let me go," I said. As I look back on it now, it seems like I whispered it. I know that's wrong, 'cus with all the air moving around me, I would have to have shouted to be heard.

"Don't worry," he said, "I've got you."

I felt a peace like nothing I've ever felt before or since. I knew, in that moment, what I was supposed to do. Angel had to let me go.

"I love you," I said, "I want you to know that. You showed me love and forgiveness when no one else would. I love Buffy. Tell her that. I love her, and Red and Xander. They tried so hard to help me. Most of all, I love Giles. Tell them for me, Angel."

Then, because I knew he would never voluntarily let me go, I hit Angel's hand, forcing it open. I slid from his grip and left myself to the fates.

* * *

A/N: When did Faith go to Florida? Check you "Know when to Hold'em" by Benji the Vampire Confuser. URL: s/4146045/1/Know-When-To-Hold-Em


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey," Willow said, interrupting Faith's story, "Dan was that watcher that joined right after we lost you. He said he was a friend of yours."

"Yeah," Faith said, turning away from Morales, "He joined up?"

"He did." Willow answered, "He and Giles worked together a lot. I think they bonded over you. Giles felt so guilty when we couldn't get you back,"

"And I spent the last week before fighting that demon with Dan," Faith interrupted.

Spike leaned forward. "Where did that portal lead?" He asked, "Some kind of hell dimension?"

"Yes," Captain Morales said, "Please continue with your story."

Faith nodded, "So, I fell into the portal..."

* * *

Falling through the portal felt like going down one of those tunnel slides they have at parks, only a lot longer. Ahead of me, I saw the demon I had stabbed earlier. Something was drawing me toward it. Within a few seconds, I had to shift position to avoid the large black spikes on the thing's back. It flailed its arms wildly, but it seemed like the over developed muscles in its shoulders were preventing it from raising its arms high enough to get at me. I gripped the spikes on its back while riding out the rest of the portal ride.

We reached the end suddenly. There wasn't any warning as we were unceremoniously dumped onto hard stone. I rolled off the creature's back. For its part, it kept its feet. It let go of a roar that shook the room around us.

A blade suddenly erupted from the thing's chest. The metal had multiple curves, like some kind of wave pattern. There was also an energy around it. As I watched, the energy spread, covering the monster in glowing white. I had to squint against the brightness of it. At the same time, the creature's blood on my face and neck got very warm.

When the light faded, nothing of the creature remained. I reached up and touched my face where the blood had been. Nothing was there. My face and neck were dry. I suddenly realized that the blood must have been what pulled me into the portal back on Earth.

"What are you doing here, Human?" I heard a voice say. Looking up, I could see that the voice belonged to a vampire.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Morales interrupted, "Did you say 'vampire'?"

"They haven't told you yet, mate?" Spike asked him.

Even Faith looked at him quizzically. Spike shook his head before opening his coat and touching a little badge on his chest. Faith noticed that it was the same insignia as the people in uniform all wore.

"Spike to Admiral Picard," he said.

Faith looked at Willow and mouthed, "Admiral?"

In response, Willow leaned in close and whispered in Faith's ear, "A lot's happened. I'll tell you later."

The other shrugged as a voice came from Spike's chest, "This is Picard."

"I'm in a meeting with one of your security big wigs and he's asking about vampires. I need to know how much he can know," Spike said.

"Who?" asked the voice.

Morales spoke up, "Admiral, I am Captain Carlos Morales of Starfleet Headquarters Security."

"Spike," the voice said, "He doesn't have the clearance for certain specifics of our recent mission. However, anything to do with the existence of vampires or magick is open for discussion."

"Thanks, Spike out," he said as he tapped the little badge again. Then he looked to Morales.

"The short version," he started, "Is that vampires are real. We've always been real. I am one."

The poor man looked confused. He turned to Faith and asked, "How did you know it was a vampire? This one looks human," then he looked at Spike, "and aren't you supposed to eat people?"

Faith, Spike, and Willow all laughed. Spike said, "Not exactly. We drink human blood."

"And Spike's a special case," Willow added, "He doesn't drink people's blood anymore."

"Not unless they ask real nice," Spike said, grinning at Faith, "Then I'll make them pop like warm champagne."

Faith laughed at the memory that brought up, "Oh my God, Spike! You're going to bring _that_ up? That was, like, ten years ago!"

"Actually, closer to three hundred," Willow corrected.

"Please," Morales said, "How did you know what it was?"

"I'm a Slayer," Faith said, "I was created to fight them. I have a sixth sense for when their around. Generally, the stronger they are, the more they make my spidey-sense tingle."

"I make you tingle," Spike said, "Good to know."

Faith rolled her eyes, "Oh please, you barely hum."

Willow laughed, but before Spike could respond, Faith continued, "This guy had power that was almost suffocating. The vampire was male, tall, and very powerful. He had green skin, yellow eyes, and long white hair. His brow was pulled down like most vampires' true faces, not the human ones they show most of the time. He had to be very old, like thousands of years old. This thing had cloven hands and feet. The only vampire I've ever seen that was old enough to have that was Kakistos. He was Greek. As in Ancient Greek. As in 'birth of democracy' Ancient Greek. But his skin was green and rippled with muscle. Even Kakistos didn't have that. The vampire didn't wear a shirt, only a red cape over one shoulder. He had what looked like leather pants and bracers on his arms. The thing that drew my attention most was a scar on his chest. It was huge, but I couldn't help but notice that the center of it was directly over his heart."

* * *

The sword tip brushed my chin as he spoke again, "I asked you a question."

"I don't know," I said, slowly getting to my feet "I think that thing dragged me here." As I stood, I took stock of my surroundings. I was in a huge, round room. It was empty except for the vampire and me. To my right, a huge section of the wall was missing, showing me that the we were very high, maybe in a tower.

"So you come from their realm?" he asked me.

"No!" I said, offended for some reason, "I thought that thing was from here."

He clearly wasn't expecting that answer. His eyes narrowed and he stared at me more intently. His nostrils flared and I could almost feel him smelling me.

"I sense power in you, Woman," he said at last, "What are you? A sorceress of kind?"

Sensing my moment, I kicked the flat of the blade. His hand jerked up, but his grip held. Taking advantage of his surprise, I spun and kicked his wrist. My heel must have hit the perfect spot in the middle inside of the wrist, because his hand opened as it swung wide, tossing his sword across the room. Not letting up, I kick his chest. I think it was surprise more than anything that knocked him back.

I dropped into a fighting stance and answered his question, "I'm Faith, the Vampire Slayer."

That turned out to be a bad decision. He rushed me, moving supernaturally fast, and hit me with the force of a freight train. I flew across the room, slamming into a stone wall. Thankfully, years of training had taught me to tuck my head so it didn't smack into the wall behind me, but the force still knocked the wind out of me. Before I could recover, he had me by the throat.

"Vae Victus, Human," he said, smirking, then he brought my neck toward his enormous fangs.

Suddenly, I heard the distinct sound of a knife hitting flesh. My captor cried out in pain, but didn't drop me. Both he and I looked toward what had to be the source of the sound. A woman, wearing the fur and feathers of some combination of animals, stood at the only doorway in the room. She said something I couldn't understand and threw another knife.

The vampire ducked, but he didn't need to bother. The blade hit the wall next to my head. In an instant, I realized that the woman hadn't missed. She was giving me a weapon. But the wall was stone, so the knife didn't stick. I watched, in seeming slow motion as it bounced off the wall. My hand, completely independent of my conscious direction, reached out and snatched the blade out of the air. I swung it, almost blindly, at the vampire's face. It hit at almost the same instant as another thrown knife grazed the shoulder of the arm holding me, forcing the creature to drop me. I rolled away and saw the woman, now joined by another human also wearing the strange fur and feathered outfit, this one a man, attack the vampire.

It was then that I felt the pull of a nearby source of power. I felt my gut jerk like the first time my slayer powers activated. I looked at the source of the tug and saw it. The blade the vampire had held. It was easily four and a half feet long, with hilt made from what looked like a vampire's skull. The blade had wave pattern. When I touched the grip, the very powers of creation flowed through me. I instantly felt like I could crush any foe, yet life and growth seemed to fill every cell in my body.

I stood and looked at my opponent. He was dealing with two humans who certainly knew how to harass a vampire.

"Move," I said, my voice full of power and death.

The vampire looked at me and his eyes widened. "Give me back that sword, Girl," he said, "You have no idea the power that you're messing with."

"I know that you're scared," I said, "And that gives me a happy."

Before he could respond, I screamed and rushed forward. Just as I swung the blade, a creature appeared before me. It was blue and looked ghoulish. I held its claws up to stop me, but I passed right through it brought my blade down, cutting the vampire clean through from the shoulder to underneath the opposite arm. As the his body separated, I felt …

* * *

Faith trailed off as her face drained of color. Blood trickled from her nose. Without prompting, Ensign Mok began scanning her. As she fainted, he was already tapping his badge and calling for emergency transport to McCoy Memorial Hospital. In the face of sudden crisis, Morales had to admit that, even though he was quite young, his Ferengi medical officer's quick reaction was to be commended

* * *

Benjamin sat at the communications panel in his temporary quarters at Starfleet Headquarters. He put in the request to be connected and was waiting for a response. After a few moments, an old man with a full, white beard and a bald, liver spotted head appeared on his screen.

"James," he said, grinning, "What do you want with an old man?"

"Hello, Great-Grandpa," Benjamin said, "How are you?"

"Old," he answered, "And don't call me 'Great-Grandpa'. I don't need any reminders. Call me Billy."

"Your name is David," Benjamin said.

"I know," the old man said, "But I've always liked the name Billy. Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Those stories you used to tell me about our ancestors, I was wondering if you had any kind of record?" Benjamin asked.

"Was there a particular one you were looking for?" David asked, "Most of our ancestors had a journal of some kind."

Benjamin nodded, "You once told me a story about one of our ancestors who fought vampires."

The old man laughed, "You mean Dan. Truth is, I always thought those stories were total B.S., but he did keep a journal."

Benjamin leaned forward, excited, "He mentioned someone named Faith, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did," David said standing and walking out of frame. His next words were from off screen, being yelled, "He even drew a picture of her. Apparently, she was quite the looker."

He sat again before the screen and held open an old fashioned book to the screen. On the left page were hand written words, illegible through the connection. But on the right page was a hand drawn picture of the woman who had stepped out of the portal earlier that night.

"Grandpa, I really need a copy of that journal."


	4. Chapter 4

Dr. Talas walked into the ICU at McCoy Memorial to see to Starfleet HQ security officers standing outside one of the rooms. The Andorian shook her head slightly at the sight before walking up to them and showing her identification. The taller human waved her into the room. She walked in and saw a Ferengi and a fellow Andorian, both wearing Starfleet uniforms. The Andorian's collar was gold, denoting her as security. The Ferengi was wearing a blue collar, marking him as the medical officer. That made him the one Talas wanted to speak to.

"What have we got?" she asked, noting the human patient on the bed.

"Her nose started bleeding before she passed out," the Andorian answered. Talas glared at her. She could see the pips on her collar marked her as a lieutenant, and her companion as an ensign. So it could be a matter of rank that caused her to speak out of turn. Even so, as a lieutenant, she should know that was highly inappropriate.

"I was speaking to the medical officer," she said. The woman shot a short glare at the Ferengi before looking away. _So, she's just a racist,_ Talas thought. The thought irked her. Despite being a part of the United Federation of Planets for hundreds of years, some Andorians still resented the idea that they weren't the dominant species in the galaxy.

"We're not sure what caused her to lose consciousness," the Ferengi said, Drawing Talas' attention back to him, "I saw the blood drain from her face, so I scanned her even as I was calling for emergency transport."

He turned to the screen and tapped a control, bringing his tricorder scans up. "As you can see," he said, pointing at the scans, "There were several minor subarachnoid hemorrhages. My guess is that she had several very small aneurysms that, somehow, ruptured all at once. I've never seen anything like it."

"I have," Dr. Talas said, "This is the result of the stress on the brain from time travel."

"Time travel?" The other Andorian spoke up, "You mean, she's actually time traveled."

"Based on this damage," Talas said, "I'd say she's traveled at least a dozen times in the last year."

"That's quite enough, Doctor," came a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to see a female Bajorian wearing an admiral's uniform stepping into the room. The woman had to be in her early forties, extremely young for an admiral. Both Starfleet officers snapped to attention.

"At ease," she said. When they both relaxed, she smiled slightly. "Lieutenant, Ensign, you will leave this room, return to HQ, and forget everything you've seen and heard since you first intercepted this young woman."

"Yes Ma'am," they said in unison.

She nodded in satisfaction before commanding, "Dismissed."

After the two left, the admiral turned, smiling cordially to the Doctor, "Dr. Talas, correct?"

When Talas nodded, she went on, "Tell me what you see about your patient's brain scan that makes you think time travel caused her condition."

Talas put her hands into the front pockets of her lab coat. It was a nervous, unconscious habit she had developed in medical school and she'd never been able to quite shake it.

"With all due respect, Admiral, this isn't a Starfleet facility. You don't hold any authority here. You're going to have to tell me who you are and what your interest is in this woman."

The Bajorian woman's smile twitched, but only slightly. "We brought her here," she answered.

"No," the Andorian responded, "The two officers you just dismissed brought her in here. Besides, it doesn't matter who brought her in. I'll need permission of the next of kin before I answer any of your questions."

A commotion just outside the room caught both of their attention.

* * *

As Faith and the big eared alien disappeared in the light of the transporter beam, Spike felt his stomach drop. He looked to Morales. "What happened to her?" he asked.

Morales shrugged, "I'm not sure. Lieutenant Mok, as you heard, had her transported to the hospital," his tone softened as he looked to both Spike and Willow, "Don't worry about your friend. McCoy Memorial is the finest medical facility in this sector. She'll be in good hands."

He turned his attention to one of his officers, the one with white hair and blue skin, and said, "Alea, transport to McCoy Memorial and find Mok. Stay with him. I'm going to contact Admiral Darin and advise her of the situation.

The woman nodded before tapping her badge and requesting transport. As she disappeared into the light of the transporter beam, Morales tapped his own badge.

"Captain Morales to Admiral Darin," he said.

After a brief pause, a voice responded, "This is Darin."

"Admiral, I believe you'll want to make your way to McCoy Memorial Hospital. There is a woman you would be most interested in who was just sent there." he tapped a control on the PADD in front of him. "I have sent you all the information I have on her."

After a long pause, the voice on the other end of the connection responded, "You are correct, Captain. This is quite interesting. I'll look into this myself. Darin out."

"Where exactly is this hospital," Spike asked.

The captain held up his hands, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to remain here until we have this sorted out."

Spike instantly felt a gathering of magick to his left, where Willow was sitting. He smiled in the direction of the human sitting before him. "You know you can't actually stop us, right?" he asked. The alarm in the room instantly rose. All of the people in the room around Spike and Willow reached for their phasers.

"Dormeo," Willow say quietly. Even with the soft whisper of her voice, the sound resounded around the room. Instantly, everyone in the room, with the exception of Spike and Willow, fell asleep. Anyone who wasn't sitting tumbled to the floor. Morales' head hit the table in front of him with a loud _thunk_.

Spike quickly took off his Starfleet comm. badge. "Come on," Spike said, grabbing Willow's hand and running for the door.

* * *

Spike, carrying Willow, had managed to cross the spacious grounds of Starfleet HQ in short order. Once they reached what looked like a road, he stopped and set Willow on her feet. Then, holding her hand, strolled up to an old woman walking with a cane. She was no more than five feet tall, with olive skin and stark, white hair in a bun on her head.

"Excuse me," he said politely, "My wife and I aren't from around here. Could you tell me how to get to McCoy Memorial Hospital? We're going to see a friend."

The old woman smiled up at them, pointing with her cane to a small kiosk, "Just order a cab from there. No sense walking all that way."

Willow smiled sweetly, "Thank you so much, Ma'am."

The old woman smiled back, "Of course, Dear."

They walked over to the kiosk and Spike tapped the control that read 'Taxi Service'.

A prompt popped up asking for a destination. Spike began typing the word 'McCoy', but after only three letters, another prompt appeared that said, 'McCoy Memorial Hospital'. He pressed it.

The screen went blank, showing only white letters arranged to say, 'Insert Transport Credits'.

Spiked sighed in frustration. Earth didn't use money any more, but instead had a complex system of credits for everything from food to entertainment. According to Benjamin, it allowed everyone access to the ample resources of Earth without allowing anyone to become too much of burden.

"Dammit," he said, "They haven't issued me any credits."

"Don't worry, sweetie," came a small, familiar voice. They both looked to see the old woman standing there. She produced a small, plastic thing that looked like a key. She inserted it into the machine and the screen immediately turned green.

"I never use my transport credits anyway," the old woman said, "They just pile up."

"Oh, thank you so much!" Willow said, "How can we repay you?"

The woman chuckled, "Don't you worry about that. You just go see your friend."

Spike was still speechless, but Willow smiled again. "There must be something we can do," she said.

The woman shrugged, "Well, if you insist. I've been a bit lonely lately. With my husband gone and all my children and grandchildren either in starships or on distant worlds, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to. My name is Stephanie Kimbal, and I live on Mission Street, just about a mile that way," she pointed again with her cane, "I'd love some company for dinner. I'm a pretty good cook."

Willow's face lit up. Spike smiled, but before he say anything, Willow spoke up again, "That sounds lovely. What would be a good day? Could we bring a friend?"

The old woman's smile widened as her face brightened. "Of course you could bring friends," she said, "If your still around on Saturday night, I could make a big meal that would feed all of us."

As she said this, a bright yellow craft landed next to them. Spike, wanting to hurry things along, said, "Thanks again. Saturday night, the home of Mrs. Kimbal on mission street. Is eight o'clock okay?"

"Of course, Dear," the old woman answered, "Eight is perfect. I hope to see you then."

"Don't worry," Willow said, following Spike into the cab, "You will." Then, as the cab took off, she waved enthusiastically through the window.

* * *

Spike and Willow ran into the lobby of McCoy Memorial hospital. Seeing the desk immediately, they walked over to it to see a woman with wrinkles on the bridge of her nose and wearing a double earring with a chain.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a polite tone.

"We're looking for Faith," Willow answered.

She typed a few controls into her console. "We actually have three 'Faiths' checked in currently. Can you be more specific?"

When Willow hesitated, Spike spoke up, "She was transported here from Starfleet Head Quarters about forty-five minutes ago."

"Ah, I do see her," the woman said, "Are you two next of kin?"

"She's my sister," Willow answered quickly. Spike almost laughed. He had intended on claiming Faith as his sister.

"And you, Sir?" the woman asked.

Spike indicated Willow, deciding that the simplest lies were the best, "This is my wife. Faith is my sister-in-law."

"Of course," the woman said, "Take the elevator to the fourth floor. She'll be in room ten."

Spike and Willow ran off, finding the elevator easily enough. When they walked in, Spike saw Willow look for the buttons to indicate floors. Spike knew better. "Floor four," he said. The doors closed immediately and the elevator started moving up.

"How is it that someone born in the 1800s knows more about the future than I do?" Willow asked.

Spike chuckled, "Well, I did have a bit more practice than you."

The doors opened on a sterile hallway. They both stepped off the elevator and peered down opposite directions.

"There," Willow said, pointing. He didn't see any signs indicating room ten, but the two uniformed security guards were a dead giveaway.

"Do you want to put these two to sleep like you did the others?" Spike asked Willow.

Willow shook her head, "I don't have enough power. That kind of spell drains a lot of energy."

Spike smiled, "Then it's my turn. Stay here."

He strode down the hall and walked straight up to the man and woman at the door. The were both human. The man was bald, but it appeared to be a fashion choice rather than actual hair loss. The woman was pretty with black, shoulder length hair and dark brown eyes. As he approached, they both tensed, readying themselves for a fight. "Excuse me," he said, "I'm looking for Faith, brown hair, slammin' body, about yay tall," he held out his hand to about the level of his chin.

"This is a restricted area," the man answered, "Move along."

"You sure you haven't seen her," Spike said, "She came in wearing medieval armor."

"Sir," the other security officer said with a little more force in her voice, "You need to leave."

"Right, I'll just check for her in here right quick," he said, He stepped forward, but one of the guards put a hand to his chest, attempting to hold Spike back. As soon as he felt pressure, Spike spun to the side faster than the security guards' eyes could process. He grabbed the wrist of the one who had tried to stop him and used his slight forward momentum to throw him into the opposite wall. The other was reaching for her phaser, but Spike pulled it from the holster at the woman's waist. As his perception slowed into normal time, he saw a look of horror cross the her face as she realized she was alone and unarmed against an obviously superior opponent.

"Yeah," Spike said as he put a hand around the woman's throat and dropped the phaser, "Sucks to be you about now."

Spike held her in place as he tapped the control to open the door, but it only chirped in a tone to indicate that the door was locked. Spiked turned back to his captive.

"Open it," he said calmly.

The woman remained stone faced. Suddenly, Willow was beside Spike. She waved a hand in the security officer's direction and said, "Timeo."

The woman in Spike's grasp suddenly began struggling. She hit at the vampire's forearm, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Stop!" Spike commanded.

She did, going limp. The fragrant stench of urine filled the air. Looking down, Spike could just barely make out the growing wet spot against the woman's dark uniform.

"Open the door," Spike said. The security guard shook her head.

"Open it!" Spike said more forcefully. The poor woman in his grasp, weeping openly, shook her head again.

"I can't," she said.

"Can't, or won't?" Willow asked.

"I won't," the woman sobbed, "I have orders."

Willow raised an eyebrow to Spike. "That was a fear spell," she said, "She should be wetting her pants right now."

"She did," Spike said, "But she's still going to follow orders. Gotta admire her commitment. Take the spell off of her."

Willow nodded and said, "Et restituet te in te."

The woman's face hardened instantly. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Darin to Williams," a voice called over the comm, "What's going on out there?"

Spike put a finger to his lips, indicating he wanted silence from Williams before touching the badge on her chest.

"Hello, Darin," he said, "This is Spike. I'm sure you've heard just the most wonderful stories about me in the last month or so. Let me tell you, they aren't even the good ones. I should tell you about how I got my name one day."

There was a very long pause. Willow started to open her mouth, but Spike again put a finger to his lips. Finally, Darin responded, "I suppose Willow is with you."

Spike smiled grimly, "Very good. Now, what you're going to do is open the door and allow us to see Faith. If you don't, I kill the lovely Miss Williams here and her companion."

All of the color drained from the young woman's face. Willow shook her head, mouthing _don't worry._ Williams looked at Spike, who shook his head. As a show of faith, he let go of her throat.

"It is Starfleet's policy-" Darin started to say, but Spike cut her off, "'To never negotiate with terrorists' I know. I've heard that crap before. But simple truth is that all I want is to see my friend. Is that really worth two lives."

After another long moment of silence, the door opened. A small woman was standing in it. She had short red hair, a uniform similar to the one Admiral Picard wore, and the same creased nose as the receptionist. Her glare could have melted stone.

Spike ignored her, pushing past her to the woman on the bed. Faith had been taken out of her armor, but wasn't wearing anything beneath the blanket that covered her. Spike leaned close. Her breathing and pulse were both steady. Finally he looked up at the other person in the room. She was blue, with white hair and antenna, much like the woman on the security team he had seen earlier.

"Will she make it," he asked.

The woman shrugged, "It's hard to say. She's clearly been through a lot."

Willow, who had followed Spike in, touched the tips of the fingers of her left hand to Faith's forehead, pressing the palm of her other hand to her own forehead.

"She's suffered serious trauma," she said, "I think I can repair some of the damage, but I'll need time."

The blue woman, who Spike suspected was a doctor, looked at him questioningly. He shrugged. In the quiet that followed, he could just barely make out harsh words being spoken by Darin.

"-part of no one gets in here don't you understand, Williams?" she was whispering through clenched teeth.

Williams answered "I'm sorry, Admiral, but-"

"Sorry?!" Darin interrupted, "Sorry?! What the hell kind of trained Starfleet security officer lets two-"

"Excuse me, Admiral," Spike said, having made his way over to the two women. "But I think you need to lay off."

"This doesn't concern you," Darin said immediately.

Spike put his hands on his hips, "Actually it does. Willow put a really powerful fear spell on Williams here, but she still didn't give this room up. Through more fear than most mortals experience in a lifetime, she was able to follow orders and not open the door for us. Quite frankly she deserves a medal. So why don't you just sod off."

The red head opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Spiked touched the badge on her chest. When it chirped, he said, "Spike to Admiral Picard."

After only a second, a voice answered, "Picard here."

"I'm here with an Admiral Darin," Spike said, "Would you please tell her to sod off for me?"

"Darin," Picard said, "Would you be willing to meet with me immediately? There are some things we should discuss regarding Spike and his friends."

"Right," Spike said, "Sod off, only more polite. Thanks Picard."

Darin put a finger in his face and declared, "This isn't over." From there, she stormed out.

Spike looked to the woman standing next to him. Her companion was just starting to regain consciousness.

"Look, I'm sorry about the rough treatment. I was just worried about my friend."

The woman nodded, "I understand. I appreciate you sticking up for me. Admiral Darin isn't really that bad, she just expects a lot from her officers."

"I'm Spike," he said, holding out his hand.

She shook it, "I'm Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams."

"Spike," Willow suddenly called. Spike ran into the room. Faith's eyes were open, but her face still seemed pale.

"Hey," he said, "You had us worried."

"Yeah?" Faith asked, "You always were a pussy. The last thing I remember is talking about …" She trailed off. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and several alarms in the room went off. Spike was being pushed out of the way by the blue skinned doctor. She shined a light into Faith's eyes. Then she grabbed a small device from beside the bed.

"This is Doctor Talas in ICU room ten. Code gray, repeat, code gray."

Spike could hear the woman's voice echoing down the halls. Within seconds, a team of nurses were in the room, moving Faith out and down the hall.

"What's going on," Willow asked.

Talas turned to face her and Spike, "We don't know yet. Wait in the lobby downstairs. I swear on my oath as a physician, as soon as I know something, so will you."

With that, she left them in the hallway.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I've made, what some would call, a bold choice in this chapter. I'm honestly a little scared about it. Tell me what you think._

* * *

Spike and Willow made their way to the elevator. Spike thought of the battle Faith must be fighting. Clearly, whatever was wrong with her couldn't be fixed by a simple band-aid and a kiss from mummy.

"What did you do for her?" he asked Willow.

"Simple healing magick," she answered, "The body knows, for the most part, what it's supposed to look like when it's healthy. The spell allowed the body to direct the magick where it was needed most."

"But it's going to take more power than you currently have to bring her back to tip top shape," Spike guessed.

"There's that," Willow said, "But there's something else. I couldn't tell what it was. Not magick, but some kind of force preventing her recovery."

The elevator opened onto the lobby. Almost as soon as he and Willow stepped through the doors, Spike saw William Cruentus, formally known as 'The Doctor', walking in.

"Spike," the hologram called, "What's going on?"

Spike smiled, "What are you doing here, Doc?"

"I got a call from Admiral Picard asking me to check in with you," he said, "He said you were at the hospital and that you'd had a run in with Admiral Darin."

Spike smiled, "Yeah, she wasn't all that tough. I just let her know who was boss."

"You called Admiral Picard on her comm badge." Cruentus said, raising an eyebrow.

Spike shrugged, "Yeah, well, that's who was boss."

Cruentus reached into a pocket, pulling out a comm badge. "Speaking of," he said, "You're supposed to keep this on you at all times."

Spike took the badge and replaced the it on his shirt. "You didn't expect me to obey _all_ the rules, did you, Doc?"

Willow sat on one of the padded benches against the wall of the lobby. Spike and Cruentus continued to stand. Willow looked to the hologram, "How is your friend? The one who was rescued with me."

"Seven of Nine," Cruentus said, "Well, the shock of loosing one's husband of ten years and then being forced to create an army of monsters is not something one gets over easily."

"Don't I know it," Willow said.

"She's going to need time," he said, nodding, "She's led a very difficult life, but I fear this might be too much, even for her."

"Does she have any other friends?" Spike asked, "Anyone else you could call on to give her a hand. Some familiar faces might help."

Cruentus nodded, "I had that thought too. Tuvok is already visiting her almost daily. Unfortunately, everyone else who could help is off planet. Commander Kim, another shipmate from Voyager, is supposed to be en route to Earth, but I haven't been able to reach him."

Spike finally sat next to Willow, and the doctor joined them. Together, the three settled in for a long wait.

* * *

A chime sounded at Picard's office door, and he instinctively called out, "Come."

The door opened, revealing a very cross Admiral Darin Usa. The fiery Bajoran glared at Picard from across the room.

"Have a seat, Usa," he said, pointing to a chair opposite his own. Then he stood and walked to a replicator nestled in a bookshelf on the side wall. "Earl Grey, hot," he ordered, then after removing his cup said, "Moba Juice, warm." He took the second cup and set it in front of Darin as the woman sat. Her expression softened as picked up the cup and took a long sip before setting it back down.

"You remembered," she noted. Picard smiled and said, "You are the only person I have ever known to drink any kind of fruit juice warm. It was worth remembering."

The woman smiled ruefully at him, "Why didn't you ever accept any of my invitations to dinner?"

The question was expected. She asked him that question almost every time they were alone together. They had worked closely together on a couple of projects, and Darin had started asking him to dinner at every opportunity.

"Because you made it clear that you were interested in more than a professional rapport," he answered before sipping his own drink.

The woman smiled behind her own glass, "What was so wrong with that, Jean-Luc?"

"Usa, I'm old enough to be your grandfather," Picard said, and before she could respond, said "But, that isn't why you are here."

"You were going to tell me why I should leave that creature Riker found and thawed alone," Darin said, sipping her drink again.

"Tell me," Picard said, "How familiar are you with the Q Continuum?"

Darin laughed once, "That's a loaded question."

"Indulge me," Picard said, taking another sip.

Darin shrugged, "They're a race of incredibly powerful, nearly omnipotent creatures who seemed to find the Federation in general, and Humans specifically, quite fascinating."

"I know you have clearance, but I'm not sure if you specifically read about the trial that humanity was put on. It started on stardate 41153 and ostensibly ended on stardate 47988. The point is that at the end of all of it, Q told me that the trial wasn't over."

"I don't see how this relates," Darin said.

"Spike is special," Picard said, "He is entirely unique in this universe. I know something of his history. It has been a hard one. He, and those who surround him, will soon be responsible for saving all of us yet again."

"So, you're saying," Darin said slowly, "That you want me to ignore Spike and let him do whatever he likes?"

"Certainly not," Picard scoffed, "I am merely saying that you need to consider what he is doing before you try to stop him. As I understand it, you tried to prevent him from seeing his friend in the hospital."

Darin's jaw dropped, "How did you know that?"

"It would take too long to explain," Picard said, shaking his head. Then he added, "Suffice it to say, I have an inside source. Spike needs to be guided, not obstructed."

"Very well," she said, then she tilted her cup back, draining the last of her juice, "Thank you, Jean-Luc, for the drink." And with that, she left the room.

A light flashed in the chair that Darin had been sitting in, and Q was there. He was dressed, as he always seemed to be, in a Starfleet uniform with Captain's Pips on his collar. Infuriatingly, he appeared no older than he had the first time Picard had laid eyes on him.

"Mon Capitaine," he said, "How good to see you."

Picard sighed, "What do you want, Q? I did what you asked."

"And so you did," the near omnipotent being said cheerily, "I'm here to reward you."

"Whatever it is, I don't want it," Picard said immediately.

Q sighed. "Jean-Luc," he said somberly, and his sudden change in tone caught the admiral's attention. He looked his old nemesis' eyes.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you," he said, then added, very gently, "You're going to die."

Picard felt the blood drain from his face, and he set his cup down to avoid dropping it.

"Of course I am," he said, his voice dry, "Everyone dies eventually."

Q shook his head, "I'm afraid that's not what I mean. I realize that eighty-four is a young age for a human to kick the bucket, but you will die today."

Picard was silent for a time. He always knew he was going to die. Everyone did. And he had faced his own mortality more often than most. But to hear his death declared so close, and with such inevitability, filled him with dread.

"How?" he asked, the clear, steady ring of his own voice surprising him.

"Your heart," Q answered, "The mechanical one in your chest is malfunctioning. You will be unable to call for help. By the time anyone finds you, you'll have been dead for hours."

Picard's mind immediately began racing. He could call for help right now, get someone in here to transport him to the hospital. _No,_ he thought, _He wouldn't be telling me this if there were anything I could do about it._

"I assume," he said, "That if I call for help right now, it won't make any difference."

Q nodded somberly, "I'm actively keeping your heart beating right now. If you try to call for help, I have to let go."

"Why are you telling me this, Q?" the admiral asked, "Are you trying to get in one last laugh."

Q leaned forward, folding his hands on Picard's desk, "The last time we met like this, over your failing heart, I gave you a chance to change your fate, to stop the event that led to you being stabbed in the heart. In the end, you chose not to change it, because that event made you who you are. Jean-Luc, I was trying to teach you something. You are, as you were, and as you are, too important to the galaxy to lose."

Picard laughed. He couldn't help it. This creature had tormented him for the better part of two decades, and now he was telling him that he was somehow too valuable to lose. Q himself had nearly killed him countless times.

"You're offering me some kind of ultimatum, aren't you?" Picard asked, "You'll save my life if I do something unconscionable for you."

Q leaned back and smiled, "No ultimatum, Mon Capitaine. Merely a choice. I'm going to let you in on one of the Continuum's most closely guarded secrets. We are recruiting. Our first choice is you."

Picard's jaw dropped, "You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am," Q responded, smiling, "We want you to join the Q Continuum. I won't insult you by trying to tempt you with immortality and unlimited power. I know your own moral code won't allow you to be swayed by such things. No, Jean-Luc. The only incentive that I have to offer is this: We need you."

Picard laughed again, "You need me? Oh that's rich, Q. Even for you."

Q's face suddenly turned serious, "I'm not joking, Jean-Luc. We need you. More has happened in the last twenty-five years within the Continuum than in the last thousand years combined. There are forces at work in the galaxy that, in our infinite wisdom and knowledge, we know nothing about. Every possible direction we take will lead to disaster for not only us, but the galaxy as a whole. We need a new vision, a new direction. And let's face it, Jean-Luc, no one is better at facing the unknown than you."

Picard reached out and picked up his teacup. Putting it to his lips, he took a long sip, thinking. Eighty-four years was a long time. For most of human history, his life would have been considered very long. He had accomplished a lot in that life. In fact, his career highlights were discussed in more Starfleet Academy classrooms than even those of James T. Kirk. He could die satisfied at a life well lived. But another thought nagged him. His greatest accomplishment was one that he would never receive any praise or accolades for, and was, in fact, one that only he and the Continuum knew about. It was his proudest achievement, in no small part because it would never be talked about in Academy lectures. Yet he had managed to, with the help of his crew in three different time periods, save humanity. Could he quietly pass on knowing that his friends and colleagues, as well as the galaxy as a whole, were in serious danger.

"Assuming I did join you, what exactly would be expected of me?" Picard asked

Q smiled again, "Why, Jean-Luc, that's the best part."

* * *

"Excuse me," a Bajorian woman in a set of blue scrubs said to Spike, "Dr. Talas asked me to find you. She's got some questions for you."

The woman turned and Spike and Willow followed her down a hallway. Cruentus followed as well. When they entered the office at the end of the hall, an Andorian woman was sitting behind a desk with two chairs in front of it. Willow immediately took one of the chairs. Spike turned to Cruentus, who motioned to the other chair, before he sat.

Dr. Talas looked at Cruentus uncertainly, "I'm afraid this meeting is to only be for next of kin."

"It's okay," Spike said, "He's the family doctor."

"I am William Cruentus," he said, "I was formally known simply as 'The Doctor'.

Talas glanced at Cruentus' arm, seeing the mobile emitter there.

"You are the EMH from the USS Voyager?" she asked.

"I am," Cruentus said.

"Very well," Talas said, "Your friend, Faith, is suffering from temporal induced fibromuscular dysplasia."

"Lets pretend for a second that some of us didn't spend years in medical school," Spike said.

Cruentus turned to Spike, "It's a weakening of the blood vessels due to excessive time travel."

Talas nodded, "Indeed. When one jumps through time, it…," she paused, seeming to look for the correct phrase, "Well, a philosopher might tell you it's breaking the rules. Physiologically, it causes huge stress on the body. This damage is cumulative, meaning it builds up each time it happens. Once the patient reaches a certain point, it becomes degenerative, meaning they get worse.

"The number of times she has traveled through time has caused the blood vessels in her brain, and to a lesser extent, her body to weaken to a dangerous degree. Stranger still, her brain seems to be in a state of almost undetectable temporal flux. This means that even remembering events that have been altered by her time travel causes serious damage. The good news is that, due some internal mechanism that I don't yet understand, she's healing faster and more completely that any person I have ever seen. Anyone else would have been killed long before now, but, assuming we can do something about the temporal flux around her brain, she should make a full recovery. The further bad news is that even I, the foremost expert on the physical effects of time travel, have no idea what to do."

The room went quiet for a long moment. Spike could feel his anger rising. Faith had clearly been through a lot. He knew most of her history, and whatever hell she had been through since following that demon through the portal couldn't have been a walk in the park either. And yet, despite beating all of that, she still might die at the hands of an enemy they didn't know even know how to fight.

"With all do respect, Dr. Talas," Cruentus said into the silence, a smug smile forming on his face, "I might know a thing or two about treating temporal related injuries. And I think I have an idea."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: There's another hint to my next crossover in this chapter_

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim, first officer of the Equinox-B, stood on the bridge. It was a Nova II class starship, meant for deep space exploration missions. Harry, as well as the rest of the crew, had been deep in the Beta Quadrant for four years, exploring the area that Voyager had skipped when they had used the the Borg Transwarp Network to travel back to the Alpha Quadrant. His communication with Earth had been limited, but he had recently gotten several messages from the Doctor. Apparently, Seven was having some kind of crisis, and the Doctor thought he could help.

"Sir," Anderson, the tactical officer said, "You have a personal message coming in."

"Who's it from?" he asked.

Anderson checked his panel, "It looks like it's from someone named Tom Paris."

" _The_ Tom Paris?" Joker, the helmsman, asked.

"That would be him," Harry said, smiling. His best friend, now a famed holonovelist, was well known among his crew. Harry turned to Anderson, "Put it on the main screen. Let Joker see his hero."

The screen changed from a view of the Quantum Slipstream they were traveling through to a blond man in a casual gray shirt and matching pants.

"Hey Harry," he said, "How's it going?"

"Hey Tom," Harry answered, "Pretty good. We're headed back to Earth. We should be there in a few hours."

"Excellent," Tom said enthusiastically, "B'Elanna and I just got here. I was hoping to catch you before you found some other assignment to take you away."

Harry laughed, "Well, you know me."

"Yeah," Tom said, "You haven't been able to sit still since Voyager got back to Earth."

"How's Miral?" Harry asked.

Tom sighed, "Rambunctious. She wants to play parrises squares. B'Elanna thinks it'll be a good way to work off some steam, but I think eleven is too young, even for the Kuvah'magh."

Harry laughed, "Your Klingon is getting better." Then, more seriously, he added, "You haven't told her about that yet, have you?"

Tom laughed, "Of course not. Naomi already has her head full of that 'child of Voyager' nonsense. She doesn't need any bigger an ego."

"How is Naomi? She should have graduated from the Academy this year if I'm not mistaken." Harry said.

Tom nodded, "Yeah, B'Elanna and I missed the graduation ceremony. She's excited. She hasn't been assigned to a ship yet, though. Listen, I was hoping to get some of the old crew together while we were on Earth. I hear the Doctor is here. Tuvok is here too, And Chakotay and Seven haven't left Earth since we got back."

"Actually," Harry said, "I'd like to talk to you about that when I arrive. Apparently the Doctor has been trying to contact me for a while. Something to do with Seven."

"Huh," Tom said, "I've been off planet for almost two months. I'll try to get in touch with him. Anyway, I'll see you when you get here."

Joker, whom Harry had to admit had been waiting patently during the entire conversation, finally made a small throat clearing noise.

"Hey," Harry said, "Before you go, My helmsman is a huge fan."

Tom looked at the bearded redhead through the screen, "Really? What's your name?"

"Lieutenant Jeff Moreau," the helmsman answered eagerly, "Most everyone calls me Joker."

"Alright Joker," Tom said in a serious tone, "What was your favorite holonovel?"

"I've always been a fan of the 'Captain Proton' series," the helmsman said, "But the 'Private Eye' series is amazing. Your take on twentieth century Earth is incredible."

Tom smiled, "Well, then I guess you'll be glad to hear that I'm on the final revisions of my latest 'Private Eye' holonovel. I'd love to get a fan's opinion before I submit it to my publisher."

"Are you serious?" Joker asked, his eyes widening. The he turned to Harry, "Is he serious?"

"Sure am," Tom said, "When you get to Earth, have Commander Kim get you in touch with me. We'll set something up."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Thanks Tom. He's not going to shut up about this for the rest of the trip."

Tom laughed, and Joker at least had the nerve to look sheepish.

"I'll see you when you get here," Tom said, then cut the connection. The view screen when back to the strange blue-green tube of the slipstream. Harry took his place in the first officer's chair. He never sat in the captain's chair. Captain Hart had a tendency to show up on the bridge suddenly, and it made Harry uncomfortable to jump out of the chair for him, almost like a child in his father's favorite recliner. He thought about Seven of Nine, and wondered what she was doing at that moment.

* * *

Seven of Nine stood over the stove, gradually pouring the shrimp broth into the pot. As she did so, she stirred the roux and other ingredients, carefully making sure there were no lumps. Then she put the lid on the pot and turned the heat to low to allow the gumbo to simmer. This was bright spot of staying with the Doctor. She would never have been able to cook shrimp gumbo while living with Chakotay. He was a vegetarian.

Chakotay.

The name brought a wave of emotions. Anger, sadness, despair, longing, all flooded her awareness. Slowly, she took a breath. Then another. He was gone. She loved him, and he had loved her, but he was dead and he wouldn't want her anchored by his death. More than anyone, he would want her to continue, to live life to it's fullest, despite her loss.

Opening her eyes, she realized that they were overflowing with tears. They dripped down her face, dribbling off her chin. While wiping her face, she saw that she was sitting on the floor with her back to the pony wall separating the kitchen from the living room. She stood and looked at the timer for the gumbo. Only about ten minutes had passed. She was losing less time to these episodes with each one.

She walked to the kitchen sink and turned on the cold water, splashing some over her face. She looked at the andouille sausage sitting on the cutting board and realized that she would need to slice it to have it ready for her meal. She chose a knife and began thinly slicing the meat. The task only took a few minutes, so she finished quickly and poured a glass of red wine. It wasn't replicated synthehol. The vineyard, which was located on Earth, distilled real wine from grapes. She inhaled deeply as she took a drink and held the liquid in her mouth, savoring the flavor. Seven had discovered that she preferred alcoholic drinks to syntheholic drinks. With alcohol, she became intoxicated at a normal rate, while sythehol's effects on her system were immediate and overwhelming.

As she took her second drink, the door opened and the Doctor, now going by the name William, walked in. He was trailed by two people. The first was an almost too thin man with platinum blond hair. He wore a long black coat. After him came a redhead in a green dress. The floor dropped out from under Seven.

It was her. This was the woman who had killed Chakotay. She hadn't just murdered him, she had utterly destroyed him, leaving behind only smears on the walls and floors. Those images still haunted her nightmares. This creature had taken Seven and used her Borg physiology to create endless waves of those monstrosities. The things done to her were painful, so painful that she had lost herself in the pain.

She didn't realize she had been backing up until her back hit the wall. Frantically, she glanced at the Doctor, who was staring at her, concerned.

"Seven?" he asked in a gentle tone, "What's wrong?"

"What's she doing here?" she asked, her voice sounding rough even to her own ears.

The Doctor … _William,_ Seven thought, _His name is William_. William looked back to the woman in his doorway.

His face lit up with comprehension. "No, Seven, this woman was just as much a victim as you. The thing that trapped you and killed Chakotay trapped her too. It took her power and her form. This woman's name is Willow."

"No, no, no, no," Seven said over and over. She heard William's words, and some small part of her mind grabbed at the logic of the phrase, but her terror at reliving the pain, both physical and emotional, overwhelmed her reasoning.

"She's not ready to deal with this yet," the creature, Willow said, "I'll leave."

"No," William said at the exact same time as the blond man said, "Wait."

"She's hysterical," Willow said, more firmly, "Maybe someday, she'll come to understand my part as a victim in this, but not today." With that, she turned and left.

A weight that she hadn't realized was there lifted off of Seven's chest. She felt like she could breath again. She took several very deep breaths, only barely managing to hold back tears.

"Red, wait!" the blond called after her, but William grabbed his arm.

"Stay here, Spike," he said, "I may need your help with explaining some parts of this."

* * *

Willow walked down the dark street. The look on Seven's face had disturbed her. Very few people had seen Amy in her Willow disguise, and all of those had been there when it was revealed that Amy was the true culprit. Everyone except that poor woman.

Willow came to an intersection and looked at the street sign. She was at the corner of Valencia Street and Mission Street. That sounded familiar for some reason. She thought for a second before her mind fell on the old woman who had invited Spike and her to dinner earlier in the evening.

 _What was her name?_ Willow thought. So much had been happening at the time, but she had repeated it to herself because, despite the all that was going on, she intended to fulfill her promise. In fact, she felt that keeping that promise was somehow important.

"To hell with this," she aloud to no one in particular. The street was empty anyway. "Am I a witch or not."

Willow closed her eyes and opened them again, activating a memory spell. To anyone observing, her eyes would appear completely white. Willow, however, saw the woman in her mind's eye clearly. A person's memory was only as good as their brain, which was unreliable at best. But a person's spirit, the essence of who they were, was different. It remembered every moment, every emotion, every event, absolutely perfectly. It was simply a matter of accessing it.

In her memory, the woman shrugged, "Well, if you insist. I've been a bit lonely lately. With my husband gone and all my children and grandchildren either in starships or on distant worlds, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to. My name is Stephanie Kimbal, and I live on Mission Street, just about a mile that way," she pointed with her cane, "I'd love some company for dinner. I'm a pretty good cook."

Something was off about the woman in her memory, a kind of haziness that surrounded her. That didn't make sense. Her spiritual memory should recall everything perfectly. She looked again at the memory woman. There was a definite aura of power surrounding her.

Whatever it was, she couldn't ignore it. Something was going on and Willow decided that she should get to the bottom of it, and fast. She touched a screen on the side of the road.

"Give me directions to the home of Stephanie Kimbal," she said.

* * *

"This looks like severe temporal damage," Seven said as she studied the brain scans. She sat at the dining room table, eating the shrimp gumbo over white rice. After calming down, which had taken some time, she had gone back to cooking to try to refocus herself.

Spike was eating as well. As a vampire, Cruentus thought that he didn't need to eat, but he seemed to be enjoying it all the same. Cruentus was also eating, though his plate was holographic. Doctor Rodoc Fank, a brilliant sociologist and holographic researcher, had devised a subroutine that allowed food to be scanned and replicated in holographic form to allow holographic people to enjoy said food. Later versions even simulated hunger and the need to eat regularly. Creuntus had met the man, and during that meeting had been told that Fank's goal was to help holographic people understand and relate more fully to organics. But he had to admit that, at the end of the day, the best part was the food itself.

"We are certain of that," Cruentus, said. He pointed again at the scan, "What we need to know is if there is a way to disperse this temporal flux around her brain."

"I believe I have seen something similar before," Seven said, "When a Borg Cube enters transwarp, the temporal stresses on the vessel are extreme. It is counteracted by projecting a chroniton field around the cube. If the field failed for any reason, the resulting temporal flux would be very similar to the one in this scan."

"Could we maybe use a very small whatever field on Faith's brain?" Spike asked around a mouthful. Cruentus was taken aback. He had been about to suggest that very thing. Both he and Seven looked at the vampire.

"What?" he asked, "Have I got something on my chin?" He wiped his hand across his mouth.

Seven smirked and quirked an eyebrow. "Actually, I believe you have, to use a colloquialism, 'Hit the nail on the head'."

* * *

Willow tapped the little buzzer on the door to the quaint little house. The door opened and the little old lady stood before her, wearing a pink night gown. Her eyes widened in recognition after only a second.

"Hello dear," she said, "What brings you to my door this late."

"You can cut the act," Willow said, scowling, "I know you're not what you appear to be."

"I don't know …" she started to say, but Willow cut her off.

"I don't know how much you know about magical history," she said, "But I survived the battle with The First, and many things worse besides. I'm only going to ask this once: What are you?"

Willow felt the gathering of energy and she immediately threw up her defenses with a muttered word. The spell hit her, hard, but it wasn't enough to punch through her shield. The creature retreated into the house, slamming the door shut. Willow applied just enough magical force to the lock to break it. Her power was not nearly so unlimited as it had been before Amy had trapped her, and she needed to conserve strength against this unknown foe.

The door swung open, revealing a cluttered living room. She stepped in, keeping her senses alert for any traps or attacks. One such attack came from a door to her left. She threw up another shield and risked using a little more energy to reflect the power that had been thrown at her. It worked, but when the power hit the old woman, Willow felt an explosion of pain from her chest. It dropped her to her knees.

Though tears of agony blurred her vision, she saw the old woman stand up. Only it wasn't the old woman, it was Amy. She held her own chest in pain, but it didn't seem to have staggered her like it had Willow.

"I'm glad I kept that spell active," she said through clinched teeth, "It seems to have worked better than I could have hoped."


End file.
